Mallya's Force India reprimanded after tyre bungle

Last updated on: July 26, 2010 17:07 IST

Force India were reprimanded by stewards at the German Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday after mixing up their drivers' tyres.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) technical delegate Jo Bauer reported after the race that the team had put one of Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi's rear super-soft tyres on Adrian Sutil's car along with three of the German's allocation of hard ones at the first pitstop.

Liuzzi was sent out with three super-soft tyres and one rear hard.

The two drivers, who finished 16th and 17th, had already collided with each other on the opening lap.

"It was always our strategy that, if after the start I had not made up places, I would pit on the first lap to change to the prime tyres and make up positions when other cars stopped later on," said Sutil.

"It was a good plan as you have nothing to lose when you are that far down, but there was some confusion in the stop.

"Tonio had radioed to say he was coming in for a front wing change and as we both arrived at the same time the tyre sets got mixed up and then I had to come in and pit again to get the correct set."

Liuzzi also had to pit again for the correct tyres.

"It was a case of cause-and-effect - one bad thing led to another," said chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer.

"We had some issues in practice, which meant qualifying was not ideal, and in trying to be aggressive at the start we had a coming together, which in turn led to the confusion in the stops."